Tag Archive | "NL MVP"

This is not really a Cubs story, but can you believe that Ryan Braun won his appeal of MLB’s 5-game drug suspension?! This helps the Milwaukee Brewers immensely. Instead of being without their top hitter (now that Prince Fielder is gone) for a 1/3 of the season, Braun will be right in the middle of the Brewers lineup with a HUGE chip on his shoulder. MLB issued a 50-game suspension against the NL MVP back in December claiming that the slugger had elevated levels of testosterone. Braun vehemently denied the allegations (who wouldn’t, even if you were guilty, right?) and appealed the suspension. When the 3-person panel overturned the suspension (2-1 with the independent arbitrator siding with Braun and the players’ association), Braun became the 1st player to win an appeal of such type.

Braun was thrilled with the outcome: “I am very pleased and relieved by today’s decision. It is the first step in restoring my good name and reputation. We were able to get through this because I am innocent and the truth is on our side… We provided complete cooperation throughout, despite the highly unusual circumstances. I have been an open book, willing to share details from every aspect of my life as past of this investigation, because I have nothing to hide. I have passed over 25 drug tests in my career, including at least 3 in the past year.”

Good for Braun – while it definitely hurts the Cubs chances of making a surprise run at the NL Central title, in the long run this is good for baseball. Players should be able to challenge MLB’s drug testing procedures and analysis, and if there is an issue with a “false” “positive” testing, then there should be a system in place where a player can be vindicated in the public eye…